US3160483A - Gas contact of conveyed particulate solids - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 8, 1964 G. v. BARDET 3,160,483

GAS CONTACT OF' CONVEYED PARTICULATE SOLIDS Filed April 6. 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 i: I| l o i L l I w 1= l: :e E I 1| D I N lli 3| "i Q; n LL II l |I I w l1 I Q I l y Il 'l I l Q l l 'l l i wr l g 5r `r\ J v INVENToR.

@Eo/PGE 1./ BARDET g 'L l l EC/VOFF 8 SL/CK Ilr v ,ATTO NEy' cigno I `BW A MEMBER 0E THE E/RM Dec. 8, 1964 G. v. SARDET 3,160,483

@As CONTACT oF coNvEYED PARTICULATI; somos Filed April 6, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m` v 59K y I I.' i N\I IPP" I I I I I g L I I I I I I I I I N I I I I I I I l I V iv I f I I I N I m r I \`I` l I I I @j I I I I I I I I O .I I I I LI I I i I I I" I I I I i I I \I .f` I I I l I .fg I v I In l N I INVENTOR. "Lf L I GEORGE I( BARDE T co f" Q y ECKHOFF 8 SUCK Y Q v/ l ATTOR/I/ I/s I I AMEMBER 0F THF F/RM Dec. 8, 1964 G. v. BARDET GAS CONTACT OF' CONVEYED PARTICULATE SOLIDS Filed April 6.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. GEORGE L/ BARDE T EC/(HOFF SL/CK ATTORNEYS @1W/ A MEMBER 0E THE F//PM Dec. 8, 1964 G. v. BARDET GAS CONTACT OF CONVEYED PARTICULATE SOLIDS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 6, 1959 /IOB u E a m Ew M mag .V.FR.0 mfmdnm W m5 M 6 Y A Vl Du Dec. 8, 1964 G. v. BARDET 3,160,483

' GAS CONTACT OF' CONVEYED PARTICULATESOLIDS Filed April 6, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N VEN TOR. GEORGE HARDE T 'fC/z/QfysSL/CK g g BV A p/21:43; 0F THE F/RM United States Patent Of dce 3,160,483 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 3,160,483 GAS CNTACT F CONVEYED PARTQUIJATE SOLIDS George V. Bardet, Eerlteley, Calif., assigner to MJ. Co., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 804,139 1 Claim. (Cl. 34--236) This invention relates to a machine for passing air through solid materials which are in the form of discrete particles and more specifically is an improvement on the machine disclosed and claimed in my Patent 2,865,109.

In my prior patent a machine was disclosed wherein gas lwas brought into contact with a finely divided particulate substance wherein the material was first subjected to a flow of hot gas and was then rapidly cooled. Said invention provided an apparatus whereby all material passed therethrough was uniformly treated, i.e., each particle was subjected to uniform conditions of time, temperature and air flow. Further, said machine provided a device having a high degree of reproducibility so that large numbers of lots of material could be treated with the assurance that all would be subjected to exactly the same conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine having all ofthe desirable attributes of the machine of my prior patent.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of simplified construction which operates substantially without reciprocating parts and wherein the ma terial to be treated is moved in a straight, continuous path.

Another object of this invention is 4to provide a treating machine of the class described wherein a series of perforated mesh screen trays move in one direction through themachine serving as a conveyor for the material under treatment and move in the reverse direction serving as an air diffusion means for the air before it is passed through the material to be treated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a treating device wherein `the treating area is fully occupied by trays of material being treated so that no air is wasted by passage between trays.

Another object of this invention is to provide a treating device of the class described wherein a series of trays are filled and means prevents material from getting between adjacent trays.

Another object of this invention is to provide a treating machine of the class described having a simple and effective discharge mechanism.

Other objects will be apparent from the balance of the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a machine embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the machine shown in FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a side View, partly in section of the mechanism for feeding the material onto the trays on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail view in section of the lower portion of FIGURE 3 showing the mechanism by which material is prevented from passing between two adjacent trays.

FIGURE 5 is a side sectional View of the inlet end of the machine. i

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view of the discharge mechanism of the machine on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE S is a perspective view of one of the trays usedto convey material through .the machine.

FIGURE 9 is a section on line 9 9 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a section on the line 10--10 of FIG- URE 8. f

FIGURE 1l isan enlarged side elevation from point- 11 of FIGURE 8.

Turning now to a description of the machine by reference characters, and referring particularly to FIGURES l and 2 the machine is provided with a supporting framework structure, generally designated 12 having mounted thereon an elongated chamber 14 having removable side Walls 13 and top 15. Mounted under the chamber 14 is a tapered airduct 16 which is in free communication with the chamber 14. Mounted at one end of the airduct 16 is a `suitable heater 18. for heating air to the desired treatment temperature. The heater 18 receives air from the blower 19 which is driven by the motor 21. Mounted above the chamber 14 is a series of air outlet ducts 20 which lead to a header 22 which is connected to pipe 23 which in turn leads to a suction fan 24 driven by motor 25 which fan has a discharge outlet 26. Thus, the chamber 14 receives air from blower 19 and air is drawn therefrom by the suction fan 24; in this way a strong current of air is produced through the chamber 14.

At the discharge end of the chamber 14, and inV partial communication therewith, as is later described in detail, is a second chamber 23 generally like the chamber 14 except that the lower portion thereof as at 30 is made of an air permeable mesh rather than having the solid walls of the chamber 14. A suction fan 32 driven by a suitable motor 34 draws fresh or ambient air through/- themesh 30 to cool the materialin the trays and discharges it through a stack 36.

Mounted for rotation on the framework are three shafts designated 38, 40 and 42. Each of these shafts has a pair of sprockets designated 44, 46 and 48 respectively. The

sprockets 44 and 46 are of the same size while they sprockets 4S are considerably smaller in size as will be later explained in detail. Around each of the two sets of sprockets formed by the sprockets 44, 46 and 48 on each side of the machine is trained an endless chain, each of which has been designated 50. The chains 50 carry between them a series of trays 52 and pass through the chambers 14 and 28. The exact construction of the trays 52 and their manner offastening to theV chains 50 will be hereinafter described in detail. The shaft 40 is providedv with a drive wheel 54 to which is connected a suitable motor, not shown so that the shaft can be rotated. As .the

' shaft 40 rotates, an endless procession of trays is pulled through the chamber 14, into the chamber 28, over the sprockets 46 and 48, back into the chamber 28, then into the chamber 14 and then over the sprockets 44 for a repetition of the path of travel.

For the purpose of feeding the particulate material onto the trays, a feeder, is provided which is shown in FIG-` URES l and 2 and shown in detail in FIGURES 3 `and 4. The feeder has a hopper 56 for receiving a suitable quantity of material and has an opening 58 at the bottom thereof. The opening 58 is provided with a sliding gate 60 so that the flow from the hopper 56 may be controlled to any desired degree. Material passing through the opening 58 falls onto the vibrating table 62 which is provided with an electromechanical vibrator 64 the purpose of which is to distribute the material evenly. The material passes from the vibrating table 64 onto the feed dis-Y tributor 66. The feed distributor, which extends for the width of the machine has a seriesl of baffles 68'Vtherein which slow the fall ofthe material and thus prevent itV The =rmaterial then falls through the diverter gate mechanism generally designated from bouncing on the trays.

'70. The function of the diverter gate mechanism is to prevent any of the material from falling between two adjacent trays. The bottom of the diverter gate mechnism has two discharge openings 80 and S2. Normally he diverter gate 7,8 is in the position shownin solid line o that the material will be discharged from the opening 0. However, at the time a tray edge approaches the ipening 80, the gate 'is Vmoved to the position shown i dot-dash lines, whereupon the material is discharged rom the opening 82; as soon as the space between trays :as passed from under the opening 82, the gate is rrestored o the position shown in solid lines. The gate 78 is actuted by the solenoid '79 which is energized by a microwitch 81 (FIGURE 11) which contacts the tray edges;

his may be located at any convenient point in the line.v

ly the use of the mechanism described, an even layer yf the particulate material is spread onto the bottom of ach of the trays and no material is permitted -to fail beween adjacent trays.

The trays generally designated 52 and which are shown 1 FIGURES 3, 9, 10 and 11 have a rectangular frame, referably of stainless steel 84. In addition to the frame roper, suitablefbracing 86 is employed to keep the bot- Jm of the tray substantially dat. The bottom of the tray i covered with a suitable mesh S7 the size of which is elected to retain the material under treatment. The dges of the tray are preferably rounded as is shown in |`IGURE 9 and l0, particularly if a food product is being andled. The edges of the tray extend downward as at S forming a solid support for the trays. The trays 52 re supported between the chains Stb by'attaching the cen- :r of the tray to two adjacent link pins oneach chain. `he fastening is achieved by attaching a biock 90 between vo adjacent pins 92, on the chain 50- and' to this block olting a IU-shaped member 94 which is welded to the ide of the tray. Thus the trays are held rigidly by two djacent pins of the roller chain but only at .the center 'of 1e tray. To support the edges of adjacent trays, a memer 96 is attached to two adjacent pins 98. To this memer 96 is attached a U-shaped bar 108 which extends the In FIGURE there is shown the path of travel, partlyv 1 dot-dash lines, of thetrays at the entrance end of the irachine. Note that during turning, the trays are held nly near the center thereof and are completely free from Y 1e iU-shaped bars 100. At the discharge end of the mahine,r a somewhat different system is used since itis dered that the trays be given a sudden turning movement 1 order. that the content of the trays will be discharged s close as possible to a desired point. For this purpose,

1e auxiliary sprocket 48 (FIGURE 7)l is employed which i much smaller than the sprockets 44 and '46. As is iown in FTGURE 7,'the tray is given a rapid turning lovement so that the contents are rapidly discharged 1to the hopper 102 while passing over the sprocket 48.

To support the trays as they pass( throughthe machine, 1e machine has two pairs of rails 104 uponwhich the allersltld ofthe chain ride. Thus, the trays are kept sub- :antially level throughout their path of travel in .both irections through the machine. n Y l To prevent loss of air at the discharge and inlet ends arachesv chamber 198 has only a small opening 110 therein which barely allows the tray to clear solthat there is little loss.

No special precaution is necessary at this point since l 1 most or the air would have passed through a tray Aand therefore would be discharged into theY atmosphere y anyway. To prevent loss of air which hasbeen freshly f in FIGURE 6 and merely consists of an elongated tube- A like structure having walls 114 which conform as close` vwhichlittle air is lost. lthe wall 116 separating chamber 14 from chamber 28 ly as possibley to the shape of the chain and the trays carried thereby, creating la long narrow passage through Similarly, at the j discharge end,

has only a small opening 118 therein and the tray entry is provided with atunnel 120 which is of exactly ythe same Vconfiguration as the tunnel 112.

' The machine thus described is capable of treating a particulate material under conditions whereby the mai terial is trst subjected to a blast of hot air and is then rapidly cooled and discharged 'into a suitable container. The machine is almost completely free of reciprocating f parts and requires a 'minimumfof maintenance and supervision.V

I claim: s l

A machine of Vthe class described vcomprising a-iirst elongated chamber having a tapered duct located under said chamber; a second chamber having means yfor drawing cool air upwardly therethrough, saidvirst and second chambers being adjacentto each other; forming along i continuous chamber; la pair of n parallelendless VchainsV i wholly ,within said long continuous-chamber, each of said chains being supported Vby main sprockets vat opposite ends of the long continuous chamber, one end of said long continuouschamber being designated the filling end and one end being designated the discharge end, said pair of parallel chains supporting therebetween a series of trays having perforated bottoms, said trays moving in one'direction forming an upper path and'moving' in the opposite direction forming a lower path; means for filling trays on said upper path; means for propelling said endless chainsvthrough said long continuous cham-l ber; suction means for drawing hot air through said duct and upwardly through said trays whereby the lower trays act as an air-diiusion means for the` air before it l'is Vpassed through the .material onsaid uppertray's; and auxiliary sprockets over which the chains pass at theV `discharge end of said long continuous chamber, said `auxiliary sprockets being ofl smallidiameter whereby the s well as to preventmixing between the chambers 14 i nd 28, certain battles and` tunnels are employed, 'At ie entrance of the machine,'as the trays Vpass into the liamber 14 (see FlGURE 5),Vthe front wall of the trays are given a sudden turning movement as they pass over the auxiliary sprockets.

References Cited in the tile of this patent f UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGNV PATENTS Germany Mar. 18, 1943

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